Heads or Tails by S. K. Munt Read Free Book Online Page B

‘Life has to go on in the meantime, and I don’t think Ardhi is going to be skulking around down there in the middle of the day.’ He sat up, clearly eager to have a project, to put a bit of Pintang back together again. ‘Let me help you. I’m good at finding real-estate. I mean, I found this place.’
    Ivyanne turned to him. ‘You did?’
    Tristan shrugged. ‘I started looking straight away. You needed somewhere back here, of course, so the mers wouldn’t be terrified by too much change, and I figured that moving three or four plots away would be ideal. It was good timing too, I found out about this place before it went on the market, so there’s no ‘Sold’ sign getting around, drawing attention.’
    Ivyanne studied him carefully. ‘So you’ve chosen my last two houses?’
    ‘Two?’ Lincoln asked.
    Tristan looked at him. ‘Huh?’
    ‘You picked the last one? The one in Seaview?’
    Tristan saw Ivyanne’s face reddening under the lantern light.
    ‘Not for her, specifically,’ Tristan said quickly. He was quickly learning that Lincoln was easier to handle as a rival if he wasn’t feeling overly threatened. ‘I found it for Vana years ago as a rental and decorated it-but I never thought Ivyanne would end up there.’
    ‘So that was your taste, huh?’ Lincoln nodded, as if understanding something, then looked at Ivyanne thoughtfully. ‘I always wondered why you liked it so much…. it seemed so, not you.’
    Ivyanne got to her feet, stacking Lincoln’s plate on top of hers. ‘I’m twenty-eight,’ she said quickly. ‘I don’t know who ‘me’ is yet. But yes, I liked it.’
    Tristan handed her his plate, trying to attract her gaze, but she kept her head down. Lincoln was right to say that the Seaview pad was very un-Ivyanne. Had she wanted to live there, because she wanted to be closer to him after his ‘passing’ ? The thought made him warm all over.
    ‘I’ll stack these in the dishwasher,’ Ivyanne said, making her way to Saraya. ‘But then I need some sleep.’
    ‘But it’s so early,’ Lincoln protested.
    ‘Ivyanne’s been sleeping a lot,’ Saraya said. ‘It’s a depression thing.’
    Everybody turned to look at her. She winced. ‘I did it again, didn’t I?’
    ‘It’s okay, guilty as charged.’ Ivyanne chuckled. ‘But I’ve spent seventy five percent of that time staring at the roof, not actually sleeping. So I’m depressed yes, but not lazy.’
    Lincoln looked concerned. ‘Is there anything I can do?’
    ‘Yeah. Be patient with me. I am mer, and apparently I have strong DNA-’ she winked at Saraya. ‘I’ll bounce back.’
    ‘I’m with you on that,’ Tristan said. ‘I’m wiped after that massive meal. Besides, I want to be in bed by eleven , anyway, and I still need to shower.’
    Ivyanne’s lips pursed, like she was trying not to smile. But even the tips of her ears were pink this time. Tristan loved the fact that he could still make her blush, even when Lincoln was right there in the room.
    ‘I’ll show you where your room is Tristan,’ Pintang offered quietly.
    ‘Thanks.’ Tristan said, though he was sorry Ivyanne hadn’t offered.
    ‘I’ll help you Ivyanne,’ Lincoln said, standing up and expertly collecting all five glasses in one hand. ‘It’d be good if you could show me to where I’m sleeping too. I’ll get lost in this place.’
    ‘Sure,’ Ivyanne led Lincoln inside, who turned to wave with his free hand, winking at Tristan then grinning smugly.
    Tristan kept his expression set to ‘poker face’ so Lincoln wouldn’t get too much enjoyment out of the moment. He had felt hope when he’d overheard Ivyanne cooling things off with Lincoln after her parents had died, but he’d barely seen her since, and had been beginning to lose heart. However, her revelations that afternoon had fanned the flames of his confidence to the point of rocket ignition-it was clear that she had missed him.
    But what part of him did she miss? His words? His